The Silver Elk and the Mountain Prince
by Legolas.I.am
Summary: It's been years since Thranduil had seen Thorin, so when the dwarf and company stumble into his forest, he does not hesitate to confront the would-be mountain king the second the opportunity arises. Thorin is less than eager to see Thranduil again, and is even less eager to drudge up the subject of their shared past. Thorinduil slash
1. Chapter 1

Thorin sat against the wall of his cell, the sounds of the elves and his fellow dwarves had long since fallen away and been replaced by the deep breaths of sleep. Thorin, however, was far from the comfort of unconsciousness, his mind preoccupied with Balin's disappointed words and the situation he had found himself in.

So deep in thought was Thorin that he did not hear the approaching footsteps of the elven guard until they came to a stop outside his cell door.

"Dwarf," the sudden voice startled Thorin, but not so much that his stoic composure was lost, "I have orders to escort you to the throne room to speak with the King."

"Do you now?" Thorin glared into the cold eyes of the elf, "What does the King have to say that has not already been said?"

"Quiet, dwarf, come with me and ask no more questions," the elf scowled before unlocking the cell door and swinging it open.

Thorin would have scoffed and continued to belittle the guard, but was distracted by the uneasy feeling growing in his gut, and decided it best to give in and proceed to the inevitable.

"Follow me," the elf said coldly, closing the door behind Thorin and walking off in the direction of the throne room.

With every step bringing Thorin closer to where he was sure the high elf of Mirkwood was waiting for him, Thorin's stomach sunk further and further. He did not know exactly what to expect, but he figured he had a fairly accurate guess of what was to come and he didn't feel any better for it.

Too soon, Thorin found himself in the throne room being led closer and closer to the figure seated upon the throne until he stood at the base of the ascending stairwell.

"My Lord," the guard bowed, "I have brought you the dwarf as you requested."

"Yes, thank you," Thorin refused to look up at the figure from which the smooth, cool voice sounded, "you have done well. Go now, leave us and join your brothers in the festivities."

"Sir, I hesitate to leave you alone with this dwarf," the guard spat out the last word like a foul taste in his mouth.

"Do as I have ordered," Thranduil said sternly, "I am more than capable of defending myself against one dwarf."

"Yes, my Lord," the guard bowed regretfully, before turning and exiting the room.

"I was not aware, Thranduil," Thorin muttered, "that I had left so much unsaid that you felt the need to summon me in the dead of night in order to continue our pleasant discussion."

"Some things are not fit to speak of while in the presence of others," Thranduil said calmly.

"Some things are not fit to the spoken of at all," Thorin growled, "some things never need be spoken of again."

"Do not say such things," Thranduil hissed through his teeth.

"Do not give me orders!" Thorin barked, "You have lost that right!"

"Have I also lost the right to defend myself?" Thranduil scowled.

"You need not waste your breath!" Thorin spat, "You left me and my people to die! You left my Kingdom to burn!"

"I had no choice!" Thranduil's voice rose, his calm shell breaking, "The army I had accompanying me would not have lasted the hour! I turned back so as to call for more soldiers to our aid, by the time I returned you had gone and the dragon had settled! I searched for you, I went out myself and scoured all of middle earth looking for you! I never stopped searching!"

"I did not wish to be found by the likes of a traitor such as you," Thorin scowled, seemingly unfazed by Thranduil's confession.

"You call me a traitor after-"

"After nothing!" Thorin yelled over the King.

"Nothing?" Thranduil asked, his voice dropped to a wounded whisper, "Nothing, Thorin? It meant nothing?"

"It means nothing any longer," Thorin spoke harshly, but with none of the previous volume, "you betrayed me, Thranduil, for that I cannot forgive."

"All those times… all the words… the whispered confessions spoken under the light of the moon… they mean nothing?" Thranduil whispered down to Thorin.

Thorin had avoided meeting Thranduil's eyes, but when the voice of the high elf broke, he could no longer find the strength to divert his stare, and what he saw when his dark brown eyes lifted to meet the elf's shattered his heart.

Thranduil's usually clear blue orbs were clouded by the threat of tears, the normal white turned red from the effort to keep the burning liquid at bay. His delicate, regal features were twisted in a mixture of anguish and utter heartbreak. His lower lip, usually taunt with stoicism, quivered under the weight of every emotion he was trying so hard to keep hidden away.

"Thorin," Thranduil's voice wavered dangerously as he stood from his throne, "if you truly mean what you say, I will understand and accept your decision, but," Thorin's heart gave a painful lurch as Thranduil neared him only to quite suddenly throw himself at the feet of the dwarven would-be-king, "I beg of you," Thranduil's voice shook as he spoke into the stone floor, his body quaking with suppressed sobs, "if you could find it in your heart to forgive me, if you could even begin to forgive me, then I beg of you to take back your words, Thorin Oakensheild, before they rip apart my very soul!"

"Thranduil," Thorin said with a strained voice, "do not… this act will earn you no sympathy."

"This act?" Thranduil asked, his voice shaking as he lifted his face to look into the eyes of his accuser, "you think that I would humble myself so much, that I would throw myself at your feet, that I would beg on my knees, that I would shed tears for the first time in my life outside of my chambers, for the sake of an act?"

Thorin was having to fight now to maintain his closed-off exterior, to not join the elf on the ground and comfort him, to not wipe away the tears burning down those alabaster cheeks.

"Why should I trust you?" Thorin asked, cursing the way he felt his resolve slipping.

"Because I was loyal to you," Thranduil sobbed desperately, looking up through a blur of tears, "because there was once a time that you looked upon me and would not have dreamed to leave me degraded and weeping at your feet."

"There was also a time that I never would have dreamed you would look into my eyes before turning and leaving me to die."

"I am sorry," Thranduil cried, his voice quiet and tired, "I do not know what I can do or say to make you believe me. I do not know what to do, Thorin, so if there is nothing I can do to earn your trust again, if you see no future other than you hating me for the rest of your days, please tell me. I have waited all these years, searching for you, following every rumor and whisper in the darkness trying to find you, remaining loyal to you, crying for you into the unforgiving hours of the morning; you owe me closure at the very least, some result for my sorrow… If you ever felt for me as I feel for you, I beg of you to tell me."

"You… you will be my undoing, Thranduil of Mirkwood," Thorin whispered, his resolve shattered, looking upon Thranduil with all the hurt and sorrow and longing he had kept hidden for so many years, "how is it that I cannot look into your eyes and remain angry? Stand on your feet, Thranduil, it pains me to see you humble yourself so."

Thranduil obeyed, standing on shaking legs like a new-borne doe, looking at Thorin with uncertain eyes.

"I have gone all these years, my last memory of you watching your back as you walked away from me, but, for no lack of effort, I could never find it in my heart to hate you," Thorin looked up into the eyes of the elf and knew he could not bear to maintain his careful composure, "did you really search for me, Thranduil, did you really cry for me?"

"Every day I searched for you," Thranduil answered, his face burning from tears and shame, "I spent hours every day sending men out to follow every rumor that reached my ears, and I cried for you every night I did not find you."

"One with such a face should not spend his nights alone and weeping," Thorin sighed, reaching up and wiping away the tears from those blue eyes.

"I felt no desire in my heart to spend them otherwise," Thranduil confessed, leaning into the sword-callused hand that Thorin kept rested on his cheek.

"Nor did I," Thorin said with a small smile.

"Truth?" Thranduil asked, his face brightening at the words.

"Yes," Thorin nodded, his heart lifting slightly at the change in those elven features, "several times I tried, out of spite. I brought young women, sometimes men, of every race to my room at night, but could never bring myself to do it," Thorin was surprised when a soft smile twitched on his lips, "I couldn't even rise while they lay naked before me on my bed, it was rather humiliating."

"I apologize," Thranduil blushed, "I had not realized I ruined you so."

"I believe, if you remember, it was I who ruined you," Thorin smirked, stroking Thranduil's cheek with his thumb.

"I remember," Thranduil smiled, making Thorin's heart jump up into his throat.

"Thranduil," Thorin said, looking deep into the elf's reddened eyes, "I cannot promise that I will be able to forgive you immediately, but I would be lying to myself if I said that time will not heal all."

"Thorin," Thranduil's voice once again began to shake as fresh tears welled up in his eyes.

"No more tears, Thranduil, please, my heart cannot bear it," Thorin pleaded, drawing the elf's face closer as he was able to press their foreheads together comfortingly.

"Forgive me," Thranduil sobbed suddenly, his body shaking, hot tears rolling down his cheeks and falling upon Thorin's, "I am just so… so glad… so very glad. All these years, I lived in such darkness, such horrible darkness," Thranduil was once again sobbing, his legs buckling under his weight, falling to his knees and resting his head on Thorin's strong shoulder as Thorin held him in his arms, "it was so dark… for so many years… I almost cannot believe it is truly you who stands before me," Thranduil clutched desperately at Thorin's tunic as if letting go meant the dwarf would disappear forever, "I have dreamt of this so many times, dreamt that you stood here with me and it did not matter if you were still angry or not. All that mattered was that you had come back… come back to me… but I would always wake up and find it was just a dream, that, in fact, my starlight was far away from me and I remained in the darkness."

"I am here, Thranduil," Thorin whispered, stroking the elf's long, flaxen hair, "I have returned to you, my silver elk, this you can believe."

"I have missed you, my mountain prince, oh how I have missed you," Thranduil spoke tearfully, nuzzling his face into the warm crook of the dwarf's neck, "I have missed your warmth, and your scent, and your voice, and your strength."

"I too have missed you," Thorin said softly, "I have missed holding you in my arms, and feeling your heart beating against my chest, I have missed the feel of your soft hair through my fingers, and your breath at my ear," Thorin gently guided Thranduil's face off his shoulder so as to look into the eyes of the elf, "I have gone too long without the feel of you against me, Thranduil, and I do not wish to live another moment without the warmth of your lips upon my own."

Thranduil obeyed without a word, pressing their lips together in a chaste kiss that soon grew with hunger.

"What in the name of middle earth…"

* * *

 **TBC...**


	2. Chapter 2

"What in the name of middle earth…" a sudden voice pierced the skulls of the pair, causing them to wrench apart and turn their heads in a frantic search for its origin.

Thorin's stomach dropped when he found his search ending as he locked eyes with Kili, only for it to sink even lower when he saw that Kili was flanked by the remainder of his companions, along with the son of the elf standing beside him.

"That's what you two were talking about this whole time?" Kili gawked, his jaw slack with disbelief.

"How long have you all been listening in?" Thorin asked hoarsely.

"We followed you when the guard let you out," Bofur answered, "I do apologize for… intruding, but we feared for the elf king's reasoning for summoning you."

"How did you all escape from your cells?" Thranduil asked, not angrily like they had expected, but instead with an uncharacteristically terrified quiver in his voice.

"Oh, yes, well, I suppose that was my doing. Hello, um, I am Bilbo… Bilbo Baggins," Bilbo offered, popping out from behind the pillar he had been standing behind, holding out and jingling the stolen keys sheepishly.

"Bilbo Baggins?" A hobbit?" Thranduil questioned with raised eyebrows, still kneeling before Thorin, "Thorin, is he a member of your company?"

"Yes," Thorin smiled softly at the elf, "he is our burglar."

"I can see that," Thranduil smiled good-naturedly at Thorin before turning his head back to face their audience, "Legolas, why did you simply stand among them?"

"Because I was rather distracted by the sight of you willingly shaming yourself at the feet of a dwarf," Legolas replied coldly, "as I am sure you can understand, seeing my own father reduced to a sniveling whore left me rather taken aback."

That was not what anyone in the room had expected the elven prince to say.

All stood silent, staring at Legolas's emotionless face in shock. No one moved a muscle, not until a low growl rumbled throughout the throne room, growing in intensity and volume until the very floor shook.

"How dare you speak to your father this way," Thorin's voice erupted from the growl, "you disrespectful little pomf!"

"What respect is there to have in a man who does not even respect himself?" Legolas spat, unperturbed by Thorin's anger.

"You listen to me, you spoiled brat," Thorin seethed, glaring at the elven prince, "your father has more honor than any man I have ever known! There is no shame in humbling yourself before another and if you were even partly the elf your father is you would know this! If you were not so blind, you would see the only one shamed here is you, for surely a son that would so easily disrespect his own father has no honor."

Thorin only stopped when he felt a slender hand set itself softly upon his shoulder, "Thorin, if you continue yelling so, I am not positive the walls and ceiling will not cave in on top of us. Let me step in on my own defense for a moment," Thranduil smiled softly at Thorin.

"Very well, if that is what you wish," Thorin returned the smile a bit uncertainly.

"It is," Thranduil nodded, kissing Thorin once more before standing and facing his seething son, "Legolas, I understand that you are unsettled by the sight of… me… but, my son, you must realize there is much you still do not know. You are still a child, a naïve boy, and it is for this reason that I will forgive your words, but know that if you ever speak to me in such a way again there will be consequences. I am ashamed of you, Legolas, for the disrespect and nativity you have shown. I did not think you as immature as to attempt to shame your own father without so much as trying to understand."

"What is there to understand?" Legolas trembled with rage, "You, an elven king, lay on your hands and knees, sobbing and begging, at the feet of this dwarf! Not only this, but I am now assuming this is not the first time you have been on your knees before him!"

"This _dwarf_ is Thorin Oakensheild, the King under the Mountain!" Thranduil roared, his eyes blazing, "and since it interests you so, my son, yes there have been many times where I have been on my knees before him, just as there have been times where he has been on his before me!"

"How do you find no shame in this confession?" Legolas spat disgustedly.

"How is it that you do?" Thranduil countered seething, "What shame is there in any of what I have confessed?"

"You have lay on your back for him like some brothel whore!" Legolas's voice was nearing hysterical now, "You disgrace the name and memory of my mother by allowing yourself to be _mounted_ upon the bed she once shared with you! By a dwarf no less!"

"Ah," Thranduil sighed, his tense muscles relaxing as his anger diminished, "this is about your mother."

Legolas said nothing, waiting for his father to continue.

"I loved your mother, Legolas, just as your mother loved me, and before her passing she released me from our bond because it was her wish that I not live out my years alone. Believe me when I say that after her passing I felt no desire to find company in another, and it was not until many years later that I believed that would ever change. I never thought I could love another as I had loved your mother, until the day I traveled to the Lonely Mountain to pay homage to the King, Thror, and saw Thorin for the first time. Since that day, I have loved Thorin more than I ever dreamt I could. I do not ask you to understand, only that you respect me and the decision that I have made."

"But," Legolas's voice faltered, "with a male? A dwarven male? How can you possibly look upon him and feel love?"

"You are still young and I do not expect you to know of love as I do, but there will come a time, my son, that you will meet someone and then perhaps you will understand that love is an uncertain thing found in places you never expected," Thranduil answered, his voice tired.

"Even so," Legolas was marginally less hysterical now, "for you to fall upon the stones at his feet…"

"There is no shame in humbling yourself before one you have wronged," Thranduil scowled at his son, irritated with his stubbornness, "a true man, a true king, knows to admit when he was wrong and one of true honor will do what it takes to right his wrong. I feel no shame for what I did, for I would have crawled on my hands and knees to the very edge of middle earth if only to earn the forgiveness of the one I have done wrong by. Pride is an insignificant factor when love is in question, one day you will learn this. You have disappointed me today, Legolas, I thought you were much more of an elf than you have shown me today."

Legolas stood, jaw slack, unsure what to say.

"Well," Thorin said, drawing the attention away from the father and son, "is there anything you have to say, my friends, my kin? Anything you have to add to this boy's concerns?"

The dwarves, and Bilbo, looked amongst themselves before turning back to the pair.

"Thorin," Balin chuckled, taking the company my surprise, "I have known of your relationship with Thranduil for many years, and I have had those years to come to terms with this. As long as you are happy, I have no objections."

"How…" Thorin stammered in shock, "How did you know?"

"You two are not as sneaky as you might like to believe," Balin smirked, "may times did I see the two of you sitting on balconies, washed in moonlight, faces close and hands clasped together, whispering sweet nothings while you thought all others to be deep in sleep. Many times I knocked to wake you in the mornings instead of opening the door, knowing that you had not slept alone, since the night before I had paced the surrounding halls and turned away any wondering dwarves or elves so they would not hear the muffled noises creeping out from under your door."

By now, Thorin and Thranduil were blushing violently, shuffling uncomfortably.

"I trust then, elder dwarf," Thranduil said sheepishly, "that you told no others of your knowledge?"

"Until this day, I had never spoken a word it," Balin assured, his smile wide as he watched the pair exchange a look of relief, "it was not my place to tell. What one does in his own bed chambers is his own business."

"Thank you, Balin," Thorin smiled gratefully, "I suppose we owe you a great deal then."

"Yes," Thranduil nodded, "we are in your debt."

"Oh, no, do not say such things," Balin chuckled, "I did what I did out of respect, not with any thought of repayment."

"Well," Thranduil blushed, "thank you all the same."

"Speak not of it," Balin chuckled, "and I trust the rest of my party feels similarly?"

At this, Thorin and Thranduil shifted their gaze back to the silent group.

"Thorin," Fili started sheepishly, "you are my uncle, and I will respect whatever your decisions may be. If this is what you choose, then I support you."

"Me too," Kili agreed quickly, then slowed respectfully, "I apologize for earlier. I was caught off guard, I meant no disrespect."

"It is alright, Kili," Thorin smiled, "thank you both, and what of the rest of you?"

"I too have known," Dori nodded shrewdly towards Balin, "never did I see the two of you as Balin did, but I saw the looks you shared and even now I can see the bonding braid on each of your heads that you wove into each other's hair those many years ago. I will not lie and tell you that I was pleased, but looking at how you used to be, Thorin, and how you were after we lost the mountain… I have not since seen you truly smile until today, and I did believe you grieved so for the loss of our home, but I now realize your sorrow's source was not for the home, but for the love you lost. I do not wish to see such pain on your face again, so I do not object."

"I have no problem with this," Dwalin grunted, waving his hand to indicate the pair, "besides, 's not my business to judge you. Love is a trifle of a thing, very odd and uncontrollable. I couldn't imagine some prick criticizin' me for wantin' to be with my wife, so I would not do that to someone else."

The rest of the company nodded in agreement.

"Thank you, my brothers," Thorin smiled, "your words are a weight lifted from my shoulders. I know not what I would do if any of you thought less of me because of what you have learned."

"We would never dare to think less of you," Ori grinned cheerfully, "we respect you as our king, our friend, and our brother. If you are happy, well, I'll be damned if we're not happy too!"

"Thank you," Thorin laughed happily.

"I," Thranduil faltered, "thank you all for… what you have said… I apologize for my actions earlier, when I learned of your group and who was in attendance… I am ashamed to confess that I panicked. I could think of no other way to speak with Thorin without him storming off than by force."

"Well," Oin grumbled, "you could've been slightly gentler about it, but love blinds judgment at times…"

"Thank you for understanding," Thranduil nodded, "but, it is late and if you all do intend to continue with your journey, a night of sleep will do you well. Permit me one moment to summon a guard to present you all with bedchambers."

It did not take long for Thranduil to call for a guard and the dwarves to be led off to the multitude of available chambers, each bidding good night to Thorin and Thranduil while pointedly ignoring Legolas as they passed.

"Thank you," Thorin nodded at Thranduil, "it has been many nights since they have been permitted a comfortable sleep."

"But of course," Thranduil looked down to Thorin, "I never intended to keep them locked in those cells."

"You are too kind," Thorin chuckled good-naturedly.

"I am aware," Thranduil smirked, lifting his hand and threading it through Thorin's thick mane until he located the thin braid buried there.

They were silent as Thranduil uncovered the small braid, a smile creeping onto his lips when he saw the strands of blond he had so carefully woven into the braid, taken from his own head, and the silver bead, tarnished by time, with Thranduil's name carved so carefully into its face.

"You really left this despite everything," Thranduil spoke softly, meaning for it to be a question, but ending up sounding much more like a disbelieving statement.

"I could not bring myself to unravel it," Thorin blushed under Thranduil's gaze.

"Nor could I," Thranduil breathed quietly, trying desperately to prevent the tears burning at his eyes from falling.

"I see," Thorin smiled, reaching up and hooking one thick finger around the soft braid and guiding it to the surface.

"Do you remember how long it took for you to get it to your liking?" Thranduil chuckled tearfully.

"Yes," Thorin smirked, "and I also remember how patiently you sat while I wove and unwove it so many times."

"Until, eventually you were satisfied with your work, and you sat back on the bed and admired your craftsmanship," Thranduil smiled.

"It still does not compare with the one you did for me," Thorin leaned lovingly into Thranduil's hand still stroking his hair.

"I could find no flaw in your work if I tried," Thranduil frowned sternly, shifting his gaze to the intertwined strands of flaxen blond being held so delicately between Thorin's fingers, the strands of black standing out and the silver bead catching the candle light, "for all these years, Thorin, this was all I had to connect you to me."

"Thranduil, I do not wish to be apart from you ever again," Thorin confessed, looking into the elf's blue eyes, red from tears.

"Nor do I," Thranduil's voice cracked, "for I do not trust my heart not to break."

"I promise you, my elven king, that never will I stray so far and so long from you again," Thorin said, taking Thranduil's head in his hands, stroking those tear-swollen cheeks with battle-callused thumbs.

"Thank you," Thranduil breathed, leaning into Thorin's touch, "my world seems so much brighter, now that my starlight has come back to me."

"I will never leave you in the dark again," Thorin whispered, pressing his forehead against the elf's.

Thranduil opened his mouth to speak, but only sobs escaped his throat as he wrapped his arms around his dwarf. That is how they stayed for several minutes, Thranduil sobbing on Thorin's shoulder, and somewhere between the start and end of the embrace, Thranduil became aware of the slight shaking of Thorin's shoulders and the increasing moisture on the shoulder of his tunic. Despite his noticing of the change in the dwarf, Thranduil did not acknowledge it, much to the gratitude of Thorin.

Both Thorin and Thranduil were certain, upon later reflection that they would have remained in this way until they collapsed from exhaustion, if it had not been for the sheepish cough that interrupted them.

* * *

 **TBC...**


End file.
